October 29, 2018. Louisville, KY. – After crossing the finish line, it’s all about the bling for runners. Starting in 2019, the Derby Festival is taking their race hardware to a new level by launching a four-year medal series for runners participating in the miniMarathon and Marathon Presented by Humana. The finisher medals from 2019 thru 2022 will each feature a different landmark or icon symbolic of Louisville and the Festival’s road races. Runners are being asked to help choose what will be featured on the medals.
“Louisville has so many different icons and landmarks, we want to know which ones are special to our runners,” said Shanna Ward, Race Director. “Their input will help us select what we’ll feature in the medal series the next four years to commemorate Kentucky’s largest day of road racing.”
Runners can submit their ideas for the medal series online at: DerbyFestivalMarathon.com/racemedalseries. The Derby Festival is collecting submissions through November 19. Input from the runners will help the Festival decide which landmarks or icons to feature on the medals each year through 2022.
This year’s race is set for Saturday, April 27, 2019, and will mark the 46th year for the miniMarathon and 18th year for the marathon. It’s the first time there has been a medal series for the running events, though the designs have been unique over the years featuring everything from the race logo and colors to the city skyline, Twin Spires, as well as a horseshoe, the outline of the state of Kentucky and even the course.
Registration is open online at DerbyFestivalMarathon.com. Registration prices are set to increase on November 1. The current registration fees are $65 for the miniMarathon and $75 for the Marathon. Both races start simultaneously at 7:30 am on Main Street near Slugger Field and finish at the intersection of Preston and Witherspoon streets.
Humana is Presenting Sponsor of the miniMarathon and Marathon. The Official Race Medical Partner & Training Partner is Norton Sports Health. Official IT Partner: Deloitte. Contributing Sponsors are Churchill Downs, Louisville Water Company, Powerade, and The Courier-Journal. Official Bourbon: Jim Beam®. Official Hotel: The Galt House.
